3/31/12

Player: Christian Walker

Position: 1B

School: South Carolina

Date of Birth: 3/28/1991

Height/Weight: 6’0/220

Bats/Throws: R/R

Class Of: 2013

Previously Drafted: 2009, 49th Rd, Dodgers

Scouting Report:
South Carolina games were must see in 2011 because of Jackie Bradley Jr. Tuning in to watch the Gamecocks, the first player that jumped out to me was first baseman Christian Walker. Walker’s bat stands out, but he is also a good all around player.
Walker is not just a power hitter, he is a good hitter. He goes to the plate with a good approach, takes pitches, and hits the ball where it is pitched. He has quick hands and is able to turn on inside pitches.
Walker also looks good defensively at first base.
After breaking the hamate bone in his left wrist at the College World Series, Walker was expected to miss the finals against Florida. He was able to deal with the pain and play with the injury, adding toughness to his resume.

1) Houston Astros- Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford
The Astros are coming off their worst season ever, and need to make a splash. Appel has frontline potential and a decent bit of projection left.

2) Minnesota Twins- Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francico
The Twins have never been one for the splashy pick. Zimmer is a safe choice, and fits their bill as a control pitcher, but offers significant upside and great velocity.

3) Seattle Mariners- Mike Zunino, C, Florida
Yes, the M’s just dealt for Jesus Montero, but he’s no catcher. Having both their bats in the same lineup makes Seattle very dangerous. Rumor has it they’re also drooling over Buxton.

4) Baltimore Orioles- Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (GA)
The O’s need position talent more than any other organization, and their last dip into Georgia (Nick Markakis) turned out alright. They recently worked Buxton out.

5) Kansas City Royals- Lance McCullers Jr., RHP, Jesuit Prep (FL)
It’s hard not to love McCullers’ arm. The Royals have shown a knack for developing recently drafted pitchers, and the Florida flamethrower would be a nice catch.
Giolito's injury may cause him to fall on draft day, but Theo Epstein is too savvy to pass him up at pick six

7) San Diego Padres- Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU
The Dodgers tried to sign Gausman in 2010. He would be a perfect fit for their division rivals two years later. Potential frontline starter who is really blossoming in 2012.

8) Pittsburgh Pirates- David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (AL)
The Pirates have so dramatically improved their farm system, that they can afford to take a flier on Dahl, who may benefit from a lowel level of competition.

9) Miami Marlins- Walker Weickel, RHP, Olympia HS (FL)
The Marlins went with a hometown kid (Jose Fernandez) last year, and could benefit from playing that card again. Weickel has frontline stuff and a great pitcher’s frame.

11) Oakland Athletics- Victor Roache, OF, Georgia Southern
Roache is exactly the kind of player that the A’s covet. Big time power, great on-base abilities, limited defensive ability. A match made in OBP heaven.
The Mets need a polished shortstop badly; Marrero is just that, and there's a realistic possibility that he could slip to them at 12

12) New York Mets- Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State
The Mets have no true successor to Jose Reyes at shortstop. Despite the questions about his bat, Marrero should be quick to the Majors, thanks to his defensive polish.

In 2008, Moore pitched for both Kingsport (2-0, 0.90, 1.00, in six games, two starts, 22-K in 20.0-IP) and Brooklyn (3-1, 9.00, 2.14 in 8 relief appearances).
He returned to Brooklyn for a complete season in 2009 and did good: 6-3, 2.09, 0.95, in 13 starts, 2-CG, 2-SH, 71-K, 17-BB, 82.0-IP.
Moore’s combined two-year stats are: 11-4, 2.31, 1.04.
1-1-2010 Forecast: No one expected this much from Moore, so this is all bonus time. Frankly, he’s had one of the better first two years any Mets SP has had in the past ten years. I expect him to bypass Savannah and go straight to Lucy in the spring.

4-14-10: - Moore pitched a “perfect” first outing, giving up nothing and ending with an organizational leading 0.00 WHIP. I asked him “you're the organizational leader in lowest WHIP (0.00)... after the first week... know it's early, and you're not going to deal up any secrets here, but what's working well for you right now?”Moore answered: “I’m just getting on the mound and pitching the way i always have. I have the mind set no one can beat me. My thing is I dont care who is at the plate. I know i can get them out.” Boy, we could use a little of this thinking in Queens right now.

6-27-10: - Moore had his first A+ outing and faired a lot better than his buddy Cohoon… 6.0-IP, 2-ER, 6-K, 3-BB, 3.00 ERA… and the win

7-10-10: - As we all know, Moore has had a wonderful career so far as a Mets. This year, he pitched excellently at Savannah (2.49, 0.9i in 14-G) and has been making the adjustment at the A+ level with St. Lucie. Friday night was a good outing: 6.0-IP, 1-ER, 4-Ks. He did give up four walks, but, for the season, he's 1-1, 2.65, .141 for Lucy. We're all still waiting for Moore to show some cracks... he's 15-9 as a Met... but so far, he easily has cracked the Mets top 25 prospect list.
7-16-10: - Moore pitched five more excellent innings last night, giving up 0--ER, striking out eight, and walking only once. 12 of his outs were flyouts. Moore seems to have made the conversion to A+ with ease, with four game stats of: 2-1, 1.80, 1.20 in 25.0-IP. I think it is obvious that the Mets will keep moving him on (24-yrs old) and I expect him to be in the Binghamton rotation next spring.

8-1-10: -Moore seems to be the one Savannah graduate this season that is settling nicely into the A+ St. Lucie rotation. Last night, he went 5.1-IP against Lakeland, giving up only one earned run. Season stats at Lucy: 7-G, 2-3, 2.61, 1.35. We’ve learned in the past not to get too excited about pitchers below the AA level, but Moore is definitely on our watch list. One caveat… he is playing A+ at 24-years old, which might be one of the reasons he’s doing well at that level.

8-19-10: - First, let’s talk about Brandon Moore. This is a kid that has done very little wrong so far in his professional career. I tend not to judge minor league pitchers on their win-loss record, because, in many cases, their best outing was cut short due to pitch count. ERA is okay, but WHIP and K/IP are much better. Moore was a 14th rounder in 2008 and has been successful at four levels in three years. His combined WHIP in 2008/2009, for 27-G, 15-starts, for Kingsport and Brooklyn, was 1.04. He also had 104-K in 109.0-IP. He started this season (14-G, 12-St) for Savannah and posted a 0.92 WHIP and 98-K in 79-2-IP… currently, he’s pitching for St. Lucie and has put up a 1.43 WHIP, 49-K in 56.0-IP in 10 starts. Every pitcher goes through at least one level hiccup and if a 1.43 WHIP is his, all is fine with the world. Wednesday night, Moore got back on the horse, tossing 6.0-IP, 2-H, 1-ER, 9-K, and 3-BB. Okay, here’s the rub. There is considerable chatter on the net about his lack of speed. I’ve watched the kid pitch and read a numerous amount of people that have seen him pitch and I estimate his fastball is sitting around 88-89, with a top speed of 92. Is this good enough to make a major league rotation? That’s not the problem. The problem is a pitcher that only hits 92 are a dime a dozen, so you better have serios control on that pitch, coupled by nasty secondary stuff. We’ll keep an eye on his A+ WHIP as the season comes to an end.

8-28-10: - Stock Up: Brandon Moore seems to be getting the knack of pitching at the A+ level. Too bad the season’s end is just around the corner. Moore pitched 6.0-IP last night, compiling only 1-ER, while striking out 10. His Lucy ERA is now 3.82, which when added to his 2.49 in Savannah earlier this year, totals out for a nice 3.08 in 26 games, 24 of which he started. I’ll stay conservative here and say that he will return to St. Lucie to start the 2011 season, but… ya never know

7-25-11: - We haven’t talked much about Moore this season simply because he got off to a struggling start this season in AA. Last year he went 5-9, 3.56 for three levels and Binghamton would be the test all prospect pitchers have to master to someday be considered as a call-up. Last night, Moore tossed 6.0-IP, 0-R, 6-K, 0-BB, 2-H and lowered his season ERA to 3.73 in 19-starts. I expect Moore to finish the season with the B-Mets, but start 2012 with AAA-Buffalo. One note of caution: 5.35 ERA vs. lefties (2.69 vs. righties).

9-16-11: - Twitter - MLB suspends #Mets Double-A pitcher Brandon Moore for 50 games for a "drug of abuse." It's his second violation.

INF Justin Schafer and RHP Michael Weldon have been released

"Keeper" info on Justin:

111. Justin
Schafer:

7-7-10 – Stock Up – Schafer is one of a handful of 2010 draft
picks that are making some noise for K-Port. His stats for the short season so
far are very impressive: .366/.409/.512/.921,
41-AB, .146-ISOP, .441-BABIP

8-5-10: - 2B Justin Schafer (.333/.393/.444.837 in
126-AB)has been transferred from Kingsport to
Brooklyn. - this is a well earned promotion for the draft pick out of UC
Davis. It should be interesting to see who gets time at second, Schafer or J.B.
Brown, who is currently hitting a decent .287 for the Cyclones.

8-9-10:
- stock up – Schafer was recently promoted to brooklyn after going
.333/.393/.444/.837 for Kingsport in 1256-AB. He led off yesterday for the
Clones, playing shortstop, going 3-5, with two runs batted in. Just what the
Cyclones needed was another bat.

9-29-10:
- 2011 forecast: - Schafer had a wonderful 2010 season in Kingsport and got a
taste of Brooklyn near the end of the season, going .227 in 44 at bats. There
are a lot of second basemen ahead of him, including the Cyclones full time guy
this past season, J.B. Brown, who hit .308. Schafer also plays SS, but Rylan
Sandoval is ahead of him there. My guess is he will return to Brooklyn for a
starting position in 2011.

That guys like us sit and wish that we could be sitting in the Florida sun making millions playing the game we love?

There is NO WAY that the majority of these players realize how lucky and wonderful they actually have it.....

JUPITER, FL. – In their second-to-last Spring Training game, the Binghamton Mets fell to the Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, by a 3-2 score.

The B-Mets wrap up their exhibition schedule tomorrow.

Last year’s B-Mets’ bullpen was well represented. Brad Holt, the right-hander who converted from starter to reliever, tossed a scoreless inning with three strikeouts and a walk.

Erik Turgeon followed suit with a blank frame of his own.

Jeff Kaplan allowed one unearned run in his time on the mound.

Newly-acquired utility man Josh Rodriguez went 1-for-2 and scored a run. The top pick in the 2010 Rule 5 Draft signed a minor league deal with the Mets yesterday. Last year, he played seven games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but spent most of the seasonwith the Altoona Curve, their Double-A affiliate.

The B-Mets (3-6) host the Jacksonville Suns tomorrow in their final game of SpringTraining. Their game against the Springfield Cardinals originally scheduled for Sunday has been scrapped.

March 30, 2012 –The Buffalo Bisons were defeated by the Memphis Redbirds, 2-1, on Friday from Jupiter, FL. The club has just two more spring training games before heading up to Buffalo for their first team workout at Coca-Cola Field on Tuesday afternoon.

Buffalo (1-5-3) will face the New Orleans Zephyrs at Jupiter, FL on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

The game was scoreless until the top of the seventh inning when C LUCAS MAY singled home INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead.

Pascucci finished the game 2-4.
The Redbirds came back with two runs in the bottom of the second inning to hand RHP MATT HARVEY the loss.

Harvey allowed both runs in his 6.2 innings of work.

There are just 12 days until Opening Day at Coca-Cola Field on Wednesday, April 11 as the Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (2:05 p.m.). All tickets and ticket packages are on sale now at Bisons.com.

• It sure looks like Big Pelf dodges a bullet Thursday night. Andy Martino reported that there actually was a discussion by Sandy and Company whether or not they should release him. According to Martine, everyone in that meeting that had a uniform on voted to keep him. All I’m hoping out of him is an innings eating SP5. I’d be thrilled with 200 innings and a 4.50 ERA, but only 2012 guys. Only 2012.

• It does look like the Mets are pressing forward to structure a multi-year deal for R.A. Dickey. As David Rubin reminded me, he’s a cost efficient clubhouse leader that could stabilize the rotation through the delicate 2013-2014 transition to the kiddies. It makes a lot of sense. 2013 would most probably be Johan Santana, Jon Niese, Dickey, Matt Harvey, and Jeurys Familia. 2014 would be Harvey, Niese, Familia, Zack Wheeler, and Dickey. Makes sense to me.

• Jason Bay has 0-RBIs in spring training? You got to be kidding me. This has become such an embarrassment. I guess there’s no other plan than to just play him this season and be done with another bad contract. I really liked this signing. I thought he would be a great addition both with a bat in his hand and in the clubhouse. Your ‘on paper’ 2014 outfield right now is Matt den Dekker, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Lucas Duda, with Brandon Nimmo and Gilbert Gomez in the wings. Not enough.

• Scratch Klein-Collins (Spring, Texas) shortstop C.J. Hinojosa from being a factor in the June draft. His injured left shoulder has cost him his last high school season, and he also will not be healed by draft time. My guess is college. I had him as the 8th shortstop taken in the draft, which would be a second round pick.

• Joey Gallo (No. 19) may have struggled at the plate on Wednesday and lost the game as the starting pitcher on Thursday for Bishop Gorman (Nev.), but he may have opened some eyes with his arm strength on the mound. Gallo was in the mid-90s out of the gate in the first inning, and stayed in the low-90s throughout his start, according to Baseball America's Nathan Rode. What he didn't have was location, keeping his fastball up in the zone. He wants to hit and there are scouts who still love his raw power, size and strength at the plate - mlb

• Speed Checks:

o Lance McCullers – 92-96

o Texas RHP Nathan Thornhill – 90-91, 79-81-CH

3/30/12

Player: Walker Weickel

Position: RHP

School: Olympia HS (FL)

Date of Birth: 11/14/1993

Height/Weight: 6’6/205

Bats/Throws: R/R

Class Of: 2012

Committed To: Miami

Scouting Report:
Prep righthander Walker Weickel is one of the top arms eligible for the 2012 draft. He is big, athletic, and projectable.
Weickel has a high 3/4 to over the top delivery. He does an excellent job of pitching downhill. His delivery creates some deception.
Weickel throws a low 90′s fastball that has hit 94. Some additional velocity should come as he matures. He has a low 70′s curve that is a potential plus pitch but is still somewhat inconsistent. His low 80′s change also shows flashes of plus potential.
Weickel is almost assured of being selected in the first round and could land among the top 10 selections.

Julio Concepcion –

LF
Concepcion was signed by the Mets as an undrafted international free agent in 2007.
He played for the DSL Mets in 2007, hitting .243/.362/.341/.703, in 173 at bats. This included 42 hits and 26 walks. He hated home games (.187), while loved being on the road (.305).
He returned to the DSL Mets in 2008 and improved his stats to: .285/.361/.393/.754 in 267 at bats. He also had only five errors playing left field all season.
Now, I know those stats don’t seem like all that, but this is the DSL… the .285 batting average led the league, and Concepcion also led the league in RBIs (40) and doubles (16).
This year, Concepcion owned the GCL Mets’ left field with the most at bats by any other player on the team, 160. His stats were impressive: .306/.354/.356/.710, only 5-E, 11-SB.
1-1-10 Forecast: You’re not going to see any power here, but Concepcion continues to turn out better stats each year he plays. At 6-4, 195, you would hope that he could beef up a little and improve on his anemic slugging percentage, but he has still earned a bump up to Brooklyn in 2010.

7-15-10: - Folks in the Mets organization are real pleased with the progress of Concepcion. He was assigned to repeat the GCL level this season and is proving every day that he’s ready to move up. Today, he went 3-4 and raised his seasonal batting average to .310. The real good news is his slugging percentage is at a career high of .451. He turns 21 in September.
2011 Forecast: Concepcion impressed in 2010 at the GCL level: .282//326/.466/.792, 174-AB… he also showed a little pop with 4-HR, but needs to increase his walks, only 7 in 2010. He’s young and it will be interesting to see where the new Mets brass sends him in 2011. My guess: Kingsport.

8-8-11: - Stock Up – LF Julio Concepcion – Concepcion is having a wonderful season for the Kingsport Mets. He went 3-5, 3-R, 2-doubles, 1-RBI this afternoon, raising his seasonal stat line to: .326/.352/.442/.794. This is the fifth year in the Mets organization for the 6-4 Concepcion; however, he only turns 21 this October.

I am prefacing this post by saying that these 5 guys are the only mainstays that I see in the lineup this year. I have very little faith in Andres Torres, Josh Thole and Mr. Tejada. I hope I'm wrong but whens the last time the Mets have exceeded expectations....

I'm a big believer in the Double D's (T-shirt pending) for the upcoming season. The power, patience and swag that these guys show at the plate instills some type of hope for the upcomng season As much as I want to believe in Jason Bay, I think father time is hovering over him.

Mets Sign INF Josh Rodriguez
to Minor League Contract

March 29, 2012 –The New York Mets today announced that they have signed INFJOSH RODRIGUEZ to a minor league contract.

Rodriguez, 27, split the 2011 season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Indians organizations.

He started the season with Pittsburgh and had one hit in 12 at-bats with the Pirates. He spent the most time in 2011 with Double-A Altoona and hit .267 (60-225) with three doubles, five home runs and 19RBI in 57 games.
Rodriguez was in 2012 spring training camp with the Pirates before being released on Tuesday.

He was selected by Pittsburgh from the Indians in the 2010 Rule 5 Draft and spent the first month of the 2011 season with Pittsburgh.

He was then returned to the Indians in late April before being reacquired by the Pirates in June trade with Cleveland.

He spent the remainder of the 2011 season in the Pirates minor league system.
Rodriguez spent the entire 2010 season with Triple-A Columbus and hit .293 (93-317) with 23 doubles, 12 home runs and 46RBI in 86 games.

I remember back in the summer of 2008 waiting around for a summer league baseball game, looking over the 2008 MLB First Year Players Draft to see if any of my former teammates or guys that I had played against were chosen. Not having much knowledge regarding any of the potential prospects that year, I did my due diligence when the Mets announced that they were selecting Ike Davis with their first of two first round picks that year. Not bad, a big lefty power hitter who has a slick glove, former pitcher who could possibly play the outfield within a year or two since he was an already proven college commodity. Its about time Omar and Crew made a solid selection (Forget about their second round pick that year who was released March 28th.) Four picks later, the Mets selected a lefty hitting shortstop who immediately became my favorite player, somebody I would follow through the minors, because being a lefty hitter I obviously believe that lefty hitters a far superior to any right handed thumper. Looking at Reese, I pictured a future Chase Utley for the Mets, somebody who would solidify the Mets infield for years to come. Imagine, in their primes, Ike, Reese, Jose and David... What a future Omar, Kudos!

Too bad this club is as injury plagued as a bunch of kindergartners chasing a kickball on playground. Fast forward four years and unfortunately for our sake, that dynamic infield never took to fruition. Jose's gone, Ike's got a ankle that may never be the same (Plus a fever that could kick in at anytime) and David's career could come collapsing down around him. As well all know, Mr. Havens is highly touted but when you can't play under a new regime, they have no use for you. Hopefully unlike his fellow 2nd round draftee J-Rod, Reese can get it together and provide a glimmer of hope at second base for years to come. If he has any hope of winning a job he'd better throw some dirt on that oblique, pop some advil and take some swings asap.. Come on Reese we're rooting for ya.

• Washington Nationals closer Drew Storen will start the season on the 15-day DL

• 44 year-old Omar Vizquel is added to Toronto Blue Jays roster

• Nationals Sign Zach Duke

• Orioles Designate Dana Eveland For Assignment

• John Lannan named fifth starter in Washington Nationals' rotation

• The Marlins release Aaron Rowand

• Mike Carp goes on DL with sprained right shoulder hurt diving for a ball in opener Wednesday

• Mike Carp | Mariners | Owned: 24% Yahoo! and 74.3% ESPN - You might have missed it while you were sleeping last night, but we have our first regular season injury of 2012. The Mariners placed Carp on the DL yesterday with a shoulder sprain, adding Carlos Peguero to the roster in his place. Carp qualified as a 1B this year but was a much better value in the OF, so losing him shouldn’t create any 1B problems for fantasy owners. If it does, you likely have bigger problems in the first place. Peguero, by the way, is not rosterable.

• TC said something very important about Lucas Duda:

“I think Lucas Duda is going to be a dynamic talent. Obviously, he is power supreme. I just believe he is getting very comfortable with the fact he is a major league player and he belongs here and he can hit here. He already has shown us he can hit lefties and hit righties, he can hit the ball out of the ballpark. What you’ve seen with some of his home runs is why I think the reconfiguration of Citi Field will be a big difference for him.”

Comfortably is just one small step behind confident. We’ve talked about this a number of times. You can’t do this pro game without feeling you belong and the introverted Duda seems to be making the conversion. I know spring stats mean nothing, but being in the top 5 for HRs and slugging percentage has to mean something.

• Sandy Alderson was very candid on his Wednesday conversation on WFAN. I appreciate that both as a writer and a fan. I believe he gave us a blunt, honest future to a team that is going to operate as a team looking to improve through draft picks. He never mentions international signings, which has had the most success within the organization. I specially found his use of the word ‘years’ rather than ‘year about how long R.A. Dickey could help the Mets in the future. He also barely touched on the most important subject, which is covered in the next section.

• Ryan Zimmerman had some interesting comments on David Wright and the Mets:

“They gave him an opportunity, and anytime you’re a loyal person like he is, anyone who gives you an opportunity to come up and treats you well, obviously you would like to be here. He’s a guy that works his butt off and plays the game the right way. Anytime you find players like that, I don’t want to say it’s rare, but he’s a special kind of player. He’s a good player and an even better person. David has worked his butt off and done a lot of things for the Mets and hopefully it will work out."

Can you think of a better way to begin the climb out of the abyss than to resign David?

• We have a new writer here at Mack’s Mets. Concordia College’s own Anthony Carnacchio has joined us running, with three posts already filed this week. We can’t have enough great writers here, especially ones that played the game. The 6-0 OF Carnacchio comes out of Archbishop Molloy H.S. and was born in Rockaway, NY. He went on to coach at Dominican College.

D1 Game Notes –

• Junior right-hander Brady Rodgers starts Friday nights for Arizona State and is one of two highly touted, draft-eligible pitchers on the Sun Devils roster. Rodgers’ first outing, two Fridays ago against Long Beach State was quite the gem, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out seven and walking three over nine innings. The Sun Devils went on to win the game in 12. One week later, Rodgers turned in another decent performance, allowing four runs on ten hits, striking out two in eight innings against a scorching UCLA offense. All four earned runs came in the 6th inning. Rodgers features four pitches, all of which have the potential to rate average or better. His fastball sits 89-91 with late armside run. In both outings, he showed terrific command of the pitch, working both sides of the plate and challenging hitters. It was most effective thrown outside to opposing batters where it’s nearly impossible to square up. Although he’s just 6-2/195, he has a strong frame and did a good job holding his velocity throughout both outings. His curveball comes in 73-75 with good, tight break and flashed plus-potential. In addition, Rodgers mixed in a decent changeup (79-81) with a little fade that kept hitters off-balance and slider (81-83) that showed sharp bite against UCLA but lacked consistency against Long Beach State.

• Deven Marrero (SS, Arizona State University) - Hit: Aggressive hitter that attacks the ball. Needs to improve knowledge of the strike zone and pitch recognition. Has above-average bat speed with good hands. Trigger can get a little lengthy at times, moving the bat to the zone slower than would be ideal. Line-drive swing without elevation or significant leverage. Can work from gap to gap consistently. Will battle desire to pull the ball at times. Needs to adjust approach against better pitching but has natural skills to be a solid-average hitter. Grade – 30/50 -

o OF-RHP Courtney Hawkins – 91-93, 76-79-CB, 80-82-CH

o Joey Gallo – 94-96, 74-76-curve

o Max Fried – 89-94, 74-76-CB, CH 79-80

3/29/12

Player: Trey Williams

Position: 3B

School: Valencia HS, CA

Date of Birth: 3/9/1994

Height/Weight: 6’1/211

Bats/Throws: R/R

Class Of: 2012

Committed To: Pepperdine

Scouting Report:
Trey Williams may be the top hitting prospect eligible for the 2012 MLB Draft. Showing how much respect opposition coaches have for Williams’ bat, he was intentionally walked with the bases loaded in a game his sophomore year. The son of former Major Leaguer Eddie Williams, he has had excellent coaching from day one and it shows.
People talk about the sound of the bat hitting the ball being different for a special few hitters. Williams is one of those hitters. He has an impressive swing with tremendous bat speed. Williams has an upright stance, strong hands, and shows power to all fields.
While his bat is his ticket on draft day, Williams is strong at third base. He moves well, has good hands, and displays a strong accurate arm.
A strong finish to his junior year (.500, 6 HR in final 11 games) and good showings throughout the summer have Williams looking likely to land near the top of the first round, with the top five a possibility. -

OF Alonzo Harris

Harris was one of the best baseball players to ever come out of the Mississippi High School system. In 2007, for McComb High School, he batted .540 with 25 singles, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 60 runs scored. He signed a scholarship to play baseball with Southwest Mississippi College before he was drafted. He was selected The Daily Leader (local newspaper) ”Mr. Baseball” and Most Valuable Player on the 2007 All-Area Dream Team. Harris stole seven bases in the Mississippi Class 5A/4A All-Star Game in June. At McComb, Harris played a variety of positions from shortstop, second base, outfield, and pitcher. Harris is runs a consistent 4.4 forty yard dash, and has been time as fast as a 6.5 in the 60-yard dash. He also starred at quarterback for the McComb football team. He rushed for over 1,000 yards.
The Mets drafted Harris in the 39th round of the 2007 draft. He signed with the Mets just before the deadline and was assigned to the Instructional camp in Florida. The Mets have Harris penciled to start as a second baseman/outfielder in the minor leagues. 2008 was a great first year for Harris. He played for the GCL Mets, hitting .308/.379/.510/.889 in 104 at bats, which included 5 HRs.
In 2009, Harris disappointingly didn’t get assigned to a full season team and played for Kingsport (253 at bats, .273/.321/.447/.768… 10-HR, 39-RBI, 59-K, 17-BB, 15-SB. I like any Mets minor league that hits at least 10 home runs a season. I had heard early on that he was held back in ST due to an injury but never confirmed that.
Anyway, he bumped to Savannah for the end of the season and got in 25 at bats
1-1-10: Forecast: Harris will come back to Savannah in the spring and should anchor a pretty decent young outfield. I like this kid and I look for a 15-HR, 60-RBI, .280 season from the 20 year old.

6-28-11: - Harris tweeted on Tuesday: Pro_zo Alonzo Harris Jr. –“ i wish i knew what plan they got for me”........#headstartingtohanglow – Let’s see if we can help him out here… Harris is only 21-years old and is in his 4th season in the Mets organization. He had a fair amount of prospect talk early on after being drafted in the 39th round in 2007. Hit well (.308) and played the entire season in 2008 with the GCL Mets. Conservatively bumped to K-Port in 2009 (.273) where he showed promising pop (10-HR). Once again, promoted to the next level, Savannah, in 2010, where he stumbled (.224). He was also 2nd on the team last year in errors (21) as a second baseman, so the Mets decided to play him more in the outfield this year. Problem with this is Darrell Ceciliani and Cory Vaughn were promoted from Brooklyn (with all that bonus money hanging off them) so “Zo” lost more “Mo”. Now, he’s hit .321 in his last ten games (.264 overall) as he repeats Savannah, watching his playmates get sent to the airport. Normally, I would tell him to just keep hitting above .300, but how has that helped either Josh Satin or Juan Lagares? Conclusion: He’ll finish the year in Savannah. There’s no one ready behind him in the outfield so he should play every day. Frankly, I’d put him back on second and give him another shot there.

8-28-11: - Stock Up – OF Alonzo Harris – There just isn’t that many games that a Met minor leaguer hits two home runs in one game, but Sand Gnats’s Zo Harris pulled it off last night. Harris has had a frustrating Mets career so far and keeps falling behind in the outfield pecking order. We’ll see if a game like this gets him ending strong for the season.

9-3-11: - 69 – OF Alonzo Harris – Harris has been lost and passed by in Savannah for the past few years. He even changed positions from second base to the outfield in hopes of turning a coach on. So far, it hasn’t. He can’t stay in Savannah for a third year, and there’s four other guys projected for St. Lucie, so I have him as either the 5th outfielder there, or out of the system. ETA: OOS 2014

Mets Option INF Jordanny Valdespin

New York Reassigns Five Others to Minor League Camp

March 29, 2012 –The New York Mets today announced that they have optioned INF JORDANNY VALDESPIN to the minor leagues.

New York also announced that OF ADAM LOEWEN, LHP GARRET OLSON, C LUCAS MAY, C ROB JOHNSON and OF MATT DEN DEKKER have been reassigned to minor league camp.

Of the group, only Valdespin spent time with the Bisons last season. The infielder was promoted to the Herd on August 10 and hit .280 (30-107) with two home runs, nine RBI and four stolen bases in 27 games with Buffalo. In 107 games with Double-A Binghamton, the 24-year old hit .297 (120-404) with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, 51RBI and 33 stolen bases.

Loewen spent the majority of the 2011 season with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas and hit .306 (159-520) with 46 doubles, 17 home runs and 85RBI in 134 games. His 46 doubles were the sixth most in all of minor league baseball last season. He had his contract selected on September 7 and played in 14 games with the Blue Jays, hitting .188 (6-32) with a home run and four RBI.

Olson split last season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Indianapolis Indians. The southpaw made the Pirates’ 2011 Opening Day roster and was 1-1 with a 2.08ERA in four relief appearances before being designated for assignment. He was 4-3 with a 3.05ERA in 24 games and 15 starts for Indianapolis.

May split last season between Triple-A Omaha and Reno of the Pacific Coast League. In 77 games combined, the catcher hit .238 (59-248) with 10 home runs and 44RBI.

Johnson played 67 games with the San Diego Padres in 2011 and hit .190 (34-179) with three home runs and 16RBI. Johnson has 228 big league games to his credit, spending parts of four seasons in Seattle, 2007-2010.

den Dekker was the Mets 5th round pick in the 2010 draft and is entering his third season as a professional. He split last season between Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton and hit .265 (143-539) with 17 home runs, 68RBI and 24 stolen bases in 139 games.

The Twins Release Joel Zumaya

Yu Darvish – Count me among the believers that Darvish will be worth the hype. While it’s dangerous anyhow to evaluate a player merely on his nationality, Darvish does stand apart from his peers who have made the conversion. First, he’s bigger than most of the pitchers who have come over and throws harder. He’s dealt with plenty of media attention, too, so the “rock star” treatment that he’ll get in the baseball press is less likely to affect him. And while Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is less than ideal from a park effects standpoint, in other ways landing with the Rangers is ideal for him. The combination of pitching coach Mike Maddux and Nolan Ryan in the front office has been ideal for the team in developing pitchers over the last few years, and they’ve had success scouting in Japan, too, most notably with Colby Lewis. I have two more shots to land Darvish in my leagues, and I hope to get at least one share of him by the time the drafting is done. - http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/

Reds Top-15 Prospects of 2012:

1. Devin Mesoraco | C | Age – 23 | Grade – B+

2. Robert Stephenson | RHP | Age – 19 | Grade – B

3. Zack Cozart | SS | Age – 26 | Grade – B/B-

4. Daniel Corcino | RHP | Age – 21 | Grade – B-/B

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka and won the gold medal in the 10th West Asia Baseball Cup at Punjab Stadium on Wednesday. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 4-1 in the final and secured first position in the event. Iran on Tuesday routed Afghanistan 14-0 to secure the third position. link

The Orioles claimed infielder Zelous Wheeler off of waivers from the Brewers

Honestly, I pay ZERO attention to the legalities of whats going on with the Mets, Madoff and Wilpon. As the case with many fans, my interest for the Mets lays solely in the on field product. I don't care how much money Fred or Jeff makes because he ain't ever gonna be showing me any of that green. Put a winning product on the field and let it rip. I've been going to Mets game since I was young enough to put on my Mets T-shir, high five Tim Bogar and John Franco on my dash post game around the bases. I've been suckered in with the Alomars, Burnitzs and Vaughns. I've seen the spending gone awry and the little growth in the farm system. I've seen the one bright spot in the past tens years, now residing in sunny Miami. Its time for Mr. Wilpon to open up the checkbook for a proven commodity, somebodies whose won and succeeded in New York. I don't care if the Rockies offer us Drew Pomeranz or the Phillies offer us EVERYBODY in the farm system; I want David Wright to be the face of this franchise for the rest of this decade. They moved the damn fences in for this guy, show him some loyalty and let him continue to be the face that he was brought up here to be. SHOW HIM THE MONEY FRED!

Nolan Ryan. Where to begin? The images I have of
Nolan Ryan are too numerous to count. Which portrait should be featured? The
fire-balling young pitcher who unleashed bullets, some of which were actually
strikes comes to mind. The dazzler who appeared in the third game of the 1969
National League Division Championship game against the Atlanta Braves is a nice
one. The jubilant celebrant of yet another
no hitter is high on anyone’s list. The unflappable veteran who so graciously
introduced a hard-charging Robin Ventura to his fist is a classic. The seasoned
master acknowledging the applause of tens of thousands after recording his
5,000th strikeout always works for me. How about the retired
gentleman accepting his plaque upon his induction into Baseball’s Hall of Fame
in Cooperstown, New York for a fitting image? Any of these options will
successfully illustrate his long and triumphant career in the big leagues.

For many long in the tooth New York Mets fans, however,
there is one more image that might do the trick, that of a pickle barrel. As
strange as it might seem, this is the
one that comes to my mind first, because in his early days, Nolan Ryan had an
ongoing problem with finger blisters. On Easter Sunday, 1968, in a game at Houston’s
Astrodome, he stuck out seven of the first ten hitters the Astros sent to the
plate. Two of the better known victims among this bunch were future Hall of
Famer Joe Morgan, and the “Toy Cannon,” Jimmy Wynn. For his efforts he won his
first game as a big league pitcher, and
left before its conclusion with a finger blister. The Mets Trainer, Gus Mauch, came
up with a remedy I had never heard of before. He bought some kosher pickles
from a New York City delicatessen, and had the young flame thrower soak his
fingers in the pickle brine on his off days. This is my primary recollection of
his early years, when all seemed both possible. The Miracle Mets were a year
away, but many of the pieces were already in place. Nolan Ryan was one of those
pieces.

This is Nolan Ryan's 1970 Topps card. It
features a beautiful image of our man standing in Shea Stadium. It’s a high
number, too. For those of you who aren’t familiar with that term, back in the
day baseball card manufacturers would issue cards in series. By the time the later
series came out, the season was nearing its conclusion and fewer people were
purchasing packs. As a result, fewer of the high number cards got out. Now that
many decades have passed, high number cards can be very costly, especially if
the subject is a Hall of Famer. This card is # 712 out of a 720 card set.

This is a special card for me, one that I’ve enjoyed for
almost thirty years. It was a great birthday gift that I still have. I didn’t
know what was inside the gift box at the time, but I knew from the size and
shape of the box that it was a tie. I was asked to open the tie first, and upon
doing so I found the 1970 Nolan Ryan card instead! Thank you, Nancy. Thank you,
Steve.

Tug McGraw. This is Tug McGraw’s 1966 Topps card, among my favorites of
the two dozen cards he appeared on during his career. Its various elements,
including the young left-handed pitcher, Shea Stadium, the blue sky and the
1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair patch add up to an eye-pleasing combination.

The visual image is just one of the reasons why I am
featuring it here. This card was issued at a time when real, legitimate major
league players were beginning to arrive after being developed in the Mets
minor-league system. By 1965 they were arriving at the rate of two or three a
season. Tug McGraw was a fan favorite as well as a glimmer of hope.

One game early in his stay with the Mets stands out. I
remember the game as if it was played yesterday. The Los Angeles Dodgers were
the opponent on Thursday, August 25, 1965, when in front of 45,950 fans, Tug
McGraw defeated Sandy Koufax in what was a close contest until the bottom of
the eighth when the Mets pushed a couple of insurance runs across the plate. I
don’t quite remember the headline, but I swear the win made the front page of
the New York Daily News. “Rookie Beats Koufax,” is what I recall. Who knows if
it happened that way, or even happened at all? It’s a happy recollection, one
that makes me smile to this very day.

Tug became one of my favorite Mets. He was spirited and exceedingly likable. He was the "Ya Gotta Believe" guy whose enthusiasm proved impossible to resist. Although he spent the last part of his career with another team, for me, he will always be a Met. Thanks, Tug. I still believe.

Joe and I go back over seven years as Mets bloggers and he has helped me a number of times on technical issues and advertising. There is no bigger Met fan and no site more dedicated to that team.

Please keep him in your prayers.

Mack

The Mets signed 2B-SS Josh Rodriguez to a minor league contract

The 27-year old was a second round draft pick in 2006 by Cleveland, who he played five years for

He was chosen as the first pick in the 2011 Rule 5 draft by Pittsburgh, but that's where it gets confusing. He plaed for the Pirates until 4-22, when he was sent down. Cleveland reacquired him on 4-29, but sold him back to the Pirates (?). now it seems the Pirates released him.

J-Rod has showed power, hitting 20-HR, 82-RBI for A+ Kinston in 2007.

OF Javier Rodriguez, RHP Michael Hebert, and RHP Michael Powers have been released.

The release of ‘J-Rod’ creates an opening for a fourth outfielder in St. Lucie. My guess it would be Julio Conception with Greg Pron jumping from extended to the Sand Gnats.

Powers was scheduled to pitch Binghamton while Hebert would have been in Savannah.
None of these three were in my top 50 Keepers, but they were on the full list:

61. RP Michael Powers

Powers was the 31st round pick by the Mets in the 2008 draft, out of the University of Michigan.
In his debut year, Powers pitched for Kingsport and Savannah, combining for: 2-2, 2.88, in 18 relief appearances.
In 2009, he combined for Brooklyn and Savannah with: 4-3, 3.70, 39-G44-K, 48.2-IP.
Powers excelled for Savannah in 2010, going 3-4, 2.28 in 41 appearances. He also had 52-K in 51.1-IP. He did have some trouble with the conversion to A+ and went 2-1, 5.29, in 10 games for St. Lucie.
9-22-10

– 2011 Forecast: - I’m sure Powers will return to St. Lucie to start the 2011 season. He will pitch 2011 as a 25-year old, which isn’t as critical for a relief pitcher. That being said, he needs to gitty-up.

10-14-10: - Mack: Good morning kids, today we're talking with the 31st round pick in the 2008 draft, relief specialist Michael Powers. Morning Micheal. Are you home or participating in the Instruction League?

Powers: Good Morning Mack, No Instructional league for me this year, I am back at home.

Mack: Good. Mike... let's go back to the beginning when you were drafted. Tell us about all the emotions that day?

Powers: Well, obviously that was a special day for me and my family. Just like most people, I wasn't sure when or if I was going to be drafted so I tried to stay busy and not worry about it too much, I still had another year of eligibility left so if things didn't work out I was headed back to school. When I got the call and found out it was the Mets I was excited for the opportunity. It was a tough decision for me because of the all the great things that Michigan provided me but I just felt like school prepared me well for the challenges of pro ball and the timing was right to move on.

Mack: Mike, you signed and came out of the box real quick, going a combined 2-2, 2.88, in 18 appearances for Kingsport and Savannah. Did it take you some time getting used to those daily wind sprints?

Powers: Yes definitely, Everyone says it but the switch from college to playing professionally and everyday is a big change of pace. I hit a rough spot that first year with probably about 2 weeks to go, The end of the year was in sight and I got hit around a bit one outing. I'll never forget that because it kind of snapped me back into the season and made me realize you need to finish strong. It does take some getting used to, but more or less that is what your first short season is for, just learning the game and how to play everyday.

Mack: Like the K-Port coaches always say... "here is where you learn to play the game you've been playing all your life..." So, they send you to Brooklyn in 2009 (3-3, 4.01, in 30 games), which I found disappointing since you ended the year with Savannah. You did get in a couple of weeks with the Gnats though (1-0, 3.00, 9-appearances)... how was playing every day in the Big Apple?

Powers: Brooklyn is a taste of the big leagues in the minors, Everything from the amenities the media and of course the fans. I imagine those things and the added pressure of playing in the shadow of the big league team can only help prepare you for life in the big leagues. It was a great experience for me, I really enjoyed the city and the people and we had a great group of players and a staff up there that really helped us develop.

Mack: So, what's your award for doing well in Savannah the past two years? You return again in 2010 (3-4, 2.28, 41-appearances, 52-K, 51.1-IP) when the city of Savannah is doing it's best imitation of feeling like Cambodia during the Tet. You finally break loose and finish the season at Lucy (2-1, 5.29, 10-appearances), which is really the first spike in your ERA... is the competition at that level that much harder than A-ball?

Powers: Anytime you move up levels the competition gets stiffer, Being it St. Lucie was a little tougher than Savannah, The hitters just have a better idea of what they want to do and also of how you want to handle them, but I felt like I got adjusted and held my own up there, I put together a nice streak of outings and then on the last day of the season I gave up 5 runs, so it wasn't the best way to go out, but with the limited number of innings I had up there any inning like that is going to throw your numbers off.

Mack: Forget the last day... we do a lot of forgetting the last day in Met-land. Mike, you're right there... the K/IP ratio is spot on... your velocity has never been better... and your overall professional stats stand up with any pitcher. Now... you're playing 2011 as a 25-year old and it looks like you will return again to A+. I know age for a relief pitcher isn't as much as in issue as starters, and I'm expecting the standard "I'll go where they send me" answer... but, do you think after pitching for well over 10 years that you're ready for AA ball?

Powers: Ha ha. I never thought of it that way but yeah it's no secret that age plays a factor as far as prospects go but I do believe that as long as you pitch well you can at least keep your name in the mix. That is what I try and go out to do, try not to worry about the business side of things and just pitch, and hopefully pitch well. As far as am I ready? I feel as though I'm a guy who is honing in my skills, Just like everyone of the pitchers in the organization I think I possess the skill set to pitch in the big leagues, None of us would be around if we didn't. Its just a matter of putting it all together and sustaining it over a career. Hopefully we will get to find out if I am ready eventually but until that time comes I'm just gonna keep working.

Mack: Okay... so if the pitching don't pan out, you can always turn to politics :) I keep asking that same stupid question and no one ever answers it... Mike... you've done a damn good job so far as a professional. My money's on you. Enjoy the off-season and I'll see you in March at Lucy. .

Powers: Thanks Mack. I'll see you there.

4-30-11: - Powers probably is the first legitimate promotion (A+ to AA) of the season. This is his fourth year as a Met, but, like many Mets draft picks, he was a college pitcher started too low by the Mets. He’s now pitching as a 25-year old after 3 stints in Savannah, and two with Lucy. Lifetime through 4-30-11: 11-10, 3.23, 1.30.

83. OF Javier Rodriquez

The Mets drafted Rodriguez in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft.
In 2008, Rodriguez batted .193 for the GCL Mets.

1-1-10: - Forecast: Many Mets sources say that J-Rod is real prospect material, though he has gotten off to a slow start. My guess would be that he is showcased in Brooklyn come next spring.

5-17-10: - Stock Up: Looks like the mets might have found another 19-year old Latin shortstop to brag about. Wilfredo Tovar comes out of the DSL system and really didn’t do anything that special last season for the GCL Mets (.243/.294/.318/.611). For some reason, he was called upon this month to go to St. Luic and start in place of Reese Havens (moved to 2B) and Luis Nieve (DL). So far, this sure is working: .400/.419/.500/.919. Yes, it’s only 30-Abs but it’s worth noting at this point in the season.

7-27-10: - J-Rod continues to impress this season. Last night, he went 3-5 and raised his seasonal stats to: 132-AB, .318/.345/.500/.845, .371-BABIP, .182-ISOP. I like the slow speed the mets are using here. Rodriquez was a very quiet second rounder who didn’t play the year he was signed. He’s only 20-years old, but he’s obviously way ahead of the rest of the players at his level. I expect him to play Lucy next season and possibly get a reward bump to Savannah before the end of this season.
Rodriguez played the entire 2010 season for Kingsport and hit .319/.353/.513/.865 in 160-AB.He led his team in hitting and needed less than five more official at-bats to qualify for the 5th best BA and 9th best slugging percentage in the league.

2011 Forecast: - J-Rod was a very quiet second round pick. He played very little after being signed, yet the international pundits raved about the pick. Well, it's turned out they were right. Rodriquez looks like the real deal and is starting to show some pop. There really is no reason to play him in Brooklyn next spring, so I have him going straight to Savannah. This is a top ten prospect and you need to keep your eyes on this one.

81 – OF Javier Rodriguez – J-Rod was a 2nd round draft pick in 2008 that just hasn’t gotten out of the box. He reported late but hit first gear in 2010 with Kingsport. Rodriguez started the 2011 season with Savannah, hit poorly, and then something happened. He was gone. It’s hard to find out scoops on discipline stuff, and I think there was something here, but I don’t know. What I do know is he wound up in Brooklyn where he has done, well, just okay. There’s a good chance he won’t be around in the spring, but I have him back in Savannah as a fourth outfielder. – ETA – OOS 2015

photo by Alan Greene

85. Michael Hebert

Hebert was a 7th round draft pick in 2008 (he was the second pitcher chosen that year by the Mets), who has gotten off to a slow, unspectacular start; however, progress was made in 2009.
In 2008, Hebert signed with the Mets and went on to the GCL Mets, where he went 2-2, 4.71, in nine games, three starts. Control was not his forte, walking 29 batters in 21.0 innings.

Hebert came back to the GCL Mets in 2009, and finished up: 1-3, 3.38, in seven games, five starts. More importantly, he walked only 14 batters in 29.1-IP.

Forecast: Let’s not forget that Hebert was drafted as an 18-year old, straight out of high school. But, let’s also not forget that, so far, this was a very bad choice for the second pitcher you’re going to draft. I really hate 18-year old high school pitchers, especially ones that pitched to inferior competition. I’m old school. Give me the guy that pitched three years at Texas, or Clemson, or Rice any day. That being said, Hebert may be doing baby steps, but they aren’t embarrassing. So far, in his major league career, he is 3-3. 3.68, 1.59, in 14 games, with 28 Ks in 39.1-IP. He’s also too young to buy a beer in the Piggy Wiggly down the block from my townhouse. Let’s give him two more years. Look for a well deserved promotion to a full season team in Savannah.

9-14-10: - 2011 Forecast: - Hebert is past all the growing pains and should wind up next season with a full season team. My guess right now is he will return to the team he finished the season with, the Savannah Sand Gnats.

7-10-11: - Hebert pitched a gem yesterday for the GCL Mets, going 6.0-IP, 0-R, 1-H, 6-K in their 1-0 nightcap win against the Cardinals. This is Hebert’s fourth year in the Mets organization and, frankly, he’s back with GCL where everything started in 2008. Mike was a 7th rounder in 2008, staright out of high school. Assorted injuries and other matters have kept him bouncing around the lower levels and I had hoped to see him pitch Savannah this season. He’s still only 20-years old.

9-23-11: - #88 – RP Mike Hebert – Hebert is a 2008 preppy that’s beginning to find his way after four years in the system. He’s finished this season with Savannah, where he will probably start next spring. He’s still young but Rule V is lurking. ETA – TBD